Thermostatic snap control



June 23, 1931. w wlNTER 1,811,287

THERMOSTATIC SNAP CONTROL Original Filed Nov. 13. 1928 JOSEPH #4; 1.10m mun- Patented June 23, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH WILLIAM wnrnra, OF PENFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNZOR TO EASTER DOMESTIC REFRIGERATION COMPANY, INC, 0]? OONSHOHOCKEN, PENNSYLVANIA,

L CORPORATION OF NEW YORK THERMOSTATIC SNAP CONTROL Original application flied November 13, 1928, Serial No. 319,051. Divided and this application fled July 84,

' 1929. Serial No. 880,517.

This is a division of my application Serial N 0. 319,051 filed November 13, 1928, for Letters Patent of the United States for improvement in refrigerating apparatus.

My invention is particularly applicable to refrigerating apparatus of the automatically operative absorption type. Such apparatus includes a gas generator wherein a refrigerant, such as an aqueous solution of ammonia or similar liquefiable fluid, is intermittently heated to generate ammonia gas from the solution, an cooled, conveniently by a stream of water, to permit the residual solvent to reabsorb said gas; a condenser to which said gas is conducted from said generator, and in which it is condensed while. heat is absorbed therefrom, conveniently by a stream of water; and an eva orator to which the condensed refri erant is conducted, and which is located in e refri erator inclosure which is to be cooled and om which said heat is absorbed by the refrigerant during its exansion to a gaseous state, by such heat.

he refrigerant gas from said evaporator is conducted back to the generator, in which it is reabsorbed by the residual water, which has been cooled, and from which it is regenerated b heating said generator, to again pass thru the cycle of changes aforesaid.

My invention is particularly applicable to such apparatus wherein the source of heat is a gas burner and includes automatically operative means for alternately opening and closing two valves respectively controlling the supply of fuel gas to the burner and the supply of cooling water to the condenser and generator; so as to shut oi! the cooling water when the burner is 0 rated to generate the refrigerant and to a 't the cooling water when the supply of fuel gas to the burner is shut ofi or reduced.

In the form of my invention hereinafter described, the movements of the valves are efiected in one direction by the pressure of fluid in the apparatus and in the opposite direction by springs.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawing; I have shown a dianism includes the lever 15 which is fulcrumed at 16 and has the arms 17 and 18 extending oppositely from said fulcrum in cooperative relation with the respective valve stems 11 and 12.

As shown, said valves 2 and 7 are spaced apart, obliquely with reference to the axis of said fulcrum 16; being not only spaced lon itudinally with respect to the conduit 1 for the refrigerant cooling medium and the conduit 6 for the fuel gas, which conduits support said valves in parallel relation, but also transversely with respect to said conduits, and have their respective valve stems 11 and 12 extending in parallel relation but similarly spaced apart obliquely with reference to the axis of the fulcrum 16 of said lever 15. In the position shown, said lever 15 is holding the valve 2 open but permits the valve 7 to be shut by its spring 9. In the alternate position, in which said lever is swung to the left in the drawing; the valve 7 is opened and the valve 2 permitted to be closed by its spring 4. The extent of movement of said control lever 15 is conveniently limited by the space between the pair of stops 20 which may be stationary or adjustable in said casing. Said control lever 15 is alternately held in each of said positions by the spring 21 which is provided at its opposite ends with the pivot plates 22 and 23, the former being engaged with the upper end of said lever 15, and said plate 23 bein engaged with the abutment 24 which may stationary, or adjustable, in said casing 14.

The arrangement above described is such as I 15 in either position in which it is set, and

iving said lever a snap movement toward its alternate position when said lever 15 is pushed past the center line between its fulcrum 16 and the pivotal connection of the spring 21 on the abutment 24.

In the embodiment shown; said lever 15 has been pushed into the position to open the valve 2 and permit the valve 7 to shut, by the expansion of the syl hon bellows 26. Said bellows is connected y the tube 27 with the bulb 28 which extends in the pocket 29 in the generator 30. Such expansion of the bellows 26 thrusts to the right, in the drawing, the suspension lever 32 which is fulcrumed at 33 and has its lower end pivotally connected, at 34, to the plun er 35 which is fitted to reciprocate thru t e stationary bearing 36. Said lever 32 is held in cooperative relation with said bellows 26 by the spring 37 which is adjustably connected, by the screw 38, with the bearing 39 which is stationary in said casing 14.

As the generator 30 is cooled 'by the water permitted to flow past the valve 2, in the position shown in the drawing; the thermostatic fluid, (which may be atmospheric air,) in the bulb 28 and bellows 26 contracts, permitting the bellows 26 to be collapsed by the pressure of the spring 37 so as to withdraw said plunger 34, to the left, in the drawing. At a temperature predetermined by the calibration of the apparatus; said lever 15 is thrust to the left past the center line between its fulcrum 16 and the pivotal connection on the abutment 24 by the expansion of the sylphon bellows 41, (which is connected by the tube 42 with the bulb 43 in the pocket 44 in the eve orator tank 45,) to then shut off the coo in water, by the closure of the valve 2, and a mit fuel gas by opening the valve 7. The expansion of said bellows 41 thrusts to the left, in the drawin the suspension lever 46 which is fulcrume at 47 in said casin 14 and has its lower end pivotally connecte at 48, with the plunger 49 which is fitted to slide thru a slot 50 in said lever 15, and has the shoulder 51 which then encounters said lever to move it to the left, as described. ,When said lever has been moved to the left past its dead center, said plunger is uplifted to clear its shoulder 51 from the bottom of said slot 50 in said lever 15, so that the latter is than free to be returned to the position shown in the drawing, whenever the bellows 26 is suitably expanded. Such releasing movement is'efiected by the inclined abutment 52 which is axially adjustable in said stationary bearing 86 so that the adjacent, inclined, end of said plunger 49 rides up the incline on said abutment 52 when said plunger has thrust the lever 15 past its dead center. Said lever 46 is held in cooperative relation with said bellows 41 by the spring 54 which is adjustably connected, by the screw 55, with the stationary bearing 56.

In the reversed position of the control lever 15 last above described, fuel gas is admitted past the valve 7 to the burner 58 beneath the generator30, to augment the flames 59 thereat, and thus effect the generating portion of the cycle of the apparatus.

However, I do not desire to limit myself to such an embodiment of my invention, or to the specific details of construction and arrangement of the latter, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with two valves, having respective reciprocatory stems in parallel relation and each having a valve spring continually stressing it in one direction; of a toggle device comprising a lever having three arms in radial relation with its fulcrum, including a main arm extending between said stems and substantially arallel therewith, and auxiliary arms extending transversely to said stems and respectively in cooperative relation therewith, and a spring com ressed, with its axis adapted to intersect the ulcrum of said lever, in pivotal connection with the free end of said lever, adapted to sna said lever in either directionin which sai lever is otherwise turned ast the dead center line between the lever ulcrum and the pivotal connections of said toggle spring; and respective thermostatic devices adapted to alternately enga e said main lever arm and move said togg e lever ast its dead center, in respectively opposite Sirections, at respective predetermined temperatures; whereb said valves are automatically alternate opened and closed, by the same lever, at suc predetermined temperatures.

2. Apparatus as 1n claim 1, including two reciprocator plungers pivotally connected with respective suspension levers, respectively operatively connected with the two thermostatic devices and adapted to alternately thrust said main lever arm in opposite directions.

3. The combination with a valve having a reciprocatory stem of a toggle device including a lever; and a thermostatic device, including a reciprocator plunger adapted to detachably engage sai lever and move said toggle device into position to operate said va ve; and means, including an inclined abutment, adapted to release said plun r from operative connection with said togg e device lever after its movement of the latter; whereby, said valve is automatically operated at a predetermined temperature by the movement of said lun r, but is then released to be operate in t e opposite direction, by other means.

4. Apparatus as in claim 8, wherein the plunger is pivoted and capable of deflection away from its operative connection with the toggle device lever, and the releasing means is arranged to effect disengagement of said plunger and toggle device by deflection of said plunger in sliding contact with said abutment.

5. The combination with two valves; of means arranged to alternately open one and shut the other, includin respective s rings tending to shut said va ves; a lever ving arms respectively adapted to alternately 0 on said valves; a s ring, with its axis adapte to intersect the crum of said lever, pivotally connected with'said lever and forming therewith a toggle device; and two thermostatic means res ectively adapted to alternately thrust sai lever in opposite directions past its dead center and permit snap action of said toggle spring to alternately hold said valves open, and to release them to be closed by their respective springs.

In edtestimony WhOlfiOf, I have l11 ereuntlo si m name lat out me e vfi imthi twelfth da M531 1 929. nnsy Ali WINTER.

JOSEPH 

